A CHRISTENING Robe made nearly 200 years ago in Ayrshire is to be displayed at the new V&A in Dundee.
The garment, believed to have been made in the 1840s, features an intricate hand-embroidered design of trailing stems bearing flowers and leaves.
It is coming out of storage for the first time in more than 50 years for display in the new design museum, which opens later this year.
The garment underwent a special cleaning process, beginning with being vacuumed, removing dust and loose dirt.
Instead of employing conventional cleaning techniques, staff in the V&A’s Textiles Conservation studio in London washed the garment in a shallow bath constructed on a specially designed table that can be tipped to drain the water away.
Deionised water was used to prevent leaving residues such as limescale and specially tailored detergents without the perfumes or brighteners found in commercial products were used.
Elizabeth-Anne Haldane, Senior Textile Conservator at the V&A, said: "The robe was in very good structural condition but over the years had become yellowed, as the cotton aged.
"It was really improved by being washed and the fine white cotton now looks as clean, fresh and crease-free as it would originally have been intended to be for a baby’s christening.
"We are currently preparing a number of wonderful textiles so they are ready to be transported to Dundee and displayed in the Scottish Design Galleries."
Ayrshire needlework, which saw embroiderers stitch unique designs on a microscopic scale, flourished during the first half of the 19th century.
The craft industry's labour force were women who were employed by merchants, and worked from home.
Agents would deliver fabric and pick it up again when the needlework was complete.
Christening robes were often preserved as family heirlooms.
Other popular items, which were sold in places like France, America and London, included bonnets and day dresses for babies.
Linda Fairlie and Bruce Morgan, Museums Officers at East Ayrshire Leisure, travelled to London to help choose which gown from the V&A collections should go on display in Dundee.
Scotland’s first design museum opens on 15 September.
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